It started out with a kiss
by twadrummer
Summary: James Potter has been asking Lily Evans out for years. What happens when he asks for the last time...[oneshot]


It started out with a kiss…

(A James/Lily oneshot)

By twadrummer

Summary James Potter has been asking Lily Evans out for years. What happens when she finally gives in?

Disclaimer: Yes, J.K.Rowling is really a 15 year old girl with no life living in Manchester. GET REAL.

It started out with a request, actually.

As James Potter, Hogwarts Head Boy, Quidditch Captain and Marauder slid into a seat next to the other Marauders the Saturday before the first Hogsmeade visit of the year, he only had one thing on his mind. Or one person, to be more exact.

Yes, the person on James Potter's mind was none other than Lily Evans, fiery haired and emerald-eyed demoiselle of his heart. And James was determined to win her over.

He'd realised, when he received his Head Boy badge over the summer, that if he was going to get Lily, he was going to have to grow up. And he'd made it his mission to impress Lily Evans with his newfound maturity.

So he'd refrained from pranking people (well, in front of **her** at least), stopped asking her out more than once a week (well, a boy can still try), taken his full share of Head duties and lastly, he hadn't hogged the (shared) bathroom in the (shared) Head dormitories.

All in all, he thought he'd done pretty well. During the first week back, Lily had stopped calling him "Potter" and had instead started referring to him as "James", the permafrown that had previously occupied her visage when she had spoken to him before had now all but disappeared, and although she still refused him every time he asked her out, it was nowadays said with a laugh and a smile.

Of course, the other Marauders still didn't understand his obsession of course. Sirius Black, his best friend, understood it least of all. However, Sirius Black, paramour of most of Hogwarts' female population, was a boy who whenever he flicked his shoulder length black hair, half of his admirers fainted, and when he winked one of his deep grey eyes, Madam Pomfrey was besieged by girls who had gone quite mad because of it.

But James was determined to take Lily to Hogsmeade on Halloween weekend, which was only **one** week away, so he needed to ask her today. And he was getting more and more nervous by the second.

So, on that sunny Saturday, as he slid into a seat next to Sirius, James Potter was in dire need of reassurance. Unfortunately, it didn't exactly look as if reassurance was going to be available.

"Why the long face Prongs?" asked Sirius through a mouthful of toast. He swallowed then said, "You don't have to take life so seriously, mate. That's _my_ job!" and guffawed at his own (bad) joke. The faces of his fellow Marauders did not reflect his own though.

Remus had his head buried in "The Daily Prophet", which was reporting more and more Voldemort attacks every day, so naturally his face was not a happy one. Peter was stuffing his face full of all the goodies on offer at the table, so it was hard to see his face behind the mountain of food on his plate.

And James? James' face was blank-almost as if he had too many emotions and his face was blank because it didn't know which one to show. But it soon changed to a very sad face.

"Remus," James said, "D'ya think she'll say yes?"

Remus surfaced from behind the newspaper and took in the look of despair on James' face. Then he glanced down the table to where Lily was sitting with her three best friends. Only it was Lily who was reading the "Prophet" while the others laughed and chatted.

"Sure Prongs," said Remus. "I think today is the day that you get Lily. After all, you have changed for her, and what more can you ask for?"

A look of hope began to appear on James' face. Moony felt guilty and fervently prayed that what he was saying would be true, and carried on with his pep talk.

"As long as you don't act too…brash when you ask her, everything will be fine."

James nodded, and then said, "But if she says no…"

Remus prayed harder that Lily would accept his offer.

"Then I'm never going to ask again. It will be the last time that I am rejected by Lily Evans."

Sirius, who'd been flirting with the 6th years next to them, whipped his head round so fast he nearly took out one of the 6th years.

"What! Prongs, you _can't_ give up on Lily! We have listened to you rant about how she never accepts you, we've accompanied you to spy on her and we've helped you to hex all the other boys who've asked her out. And now you're saying it was all a waste of time?"

He began to shake James violently. "No! Do you realise how many dates I've missed out on due to Lily stalking? _I will not permit you to give up!_"

As he shouted these last words, the whole hall turned to see the focus of them. Sirius released James and flashed one of his trademark smiles. Slowly the hum of chatter resumed and James made up his mind as he saw Lily get up to go. Grabbing a slice of bacon to tide him over, he bade goodbye to his fellow Marauders and jogged after her.

Lily was quite disappointed actually. Every year, without fail, James Potter asked her to go to Hogsmeade on the Halloween weekend. But apparently not so this year.

How ironic. Nobody had been more surprised than Lily when she had walked into the Heads' compartment on the Hogwarts Express and discovered James Potter, of all people, lounging there as if he owned the place, cutely ruffled hair askew and gleaming Head Boy badge pinned to his very well-defined chest.

"Rewind, Lily," she thought to herself, "Did you just use the words 'cute' and 'well-defined' to describe James Potter? _Bad Lily! Bad Lily!_"

She smacked the heel of her hand into her forehead, causing Tanya, her best friend, to shoot her a worried look. She reassured her friends with a glance, and flicked an "I'll tell you later" look at Tanya, who nodded, understanding in the way only a best friend can.

As Lily dove back behind the safe cover of the "Prophet", her mind returned to its favourite topic-James Potter, and his unexpected change for the better.

He had definitely changed this year, she thought as she perused the newspaper. She'd been forced to start calling him "James" because he was being so nice to her, and it felt mean to call him "Potter". He'd made her laugh so much that she hardly ever scowled darkly at him any more, and his methods of asking her out made her laugh even though she still said no.

But she quite wanted to say yes. She'd grown to almost like him through Head duties, and she had to say that he wasn't the bigheaded, arrogant, prank-playing git she'd always thought him to be. In fact, maybe it was more than just **liking** him…maybe she was returning that silly crush he'd had on her since forever?

She folded the newspaper up and rested her chin on her hand. She was so _confused_. Why did _stupid_ James have to start being so _stupidly_ nice to her? After all those years of maintaining that she couldn't stand the sight of him, and now she found herself lusting after his company like one of his groupies!

Lily "harrumphed" and laid her head on her arms. It would be nice to stay like that forever, she reflected. No more troublesome thoughts of James Potter, no more tiresome schoolwork or Head duties…what bliss!

"But," she thought, "somebody would come and ruin it for me…" just as she felt a tap on her back. She looked round and gave a small shriek of alarm as she saw Tanya's glowing amber eyes not 3 cm from her own emerald orbs.

"Mind if I sit down?" came Tanya's soft musical voice, instantly soothing Lily's frazzled nerves. Hastily Lily swept her books and bag off the seat next to her, almost killing a passing first year in the resulting avalanche. After dusting the first year off and sending it on its way, Tanya plonked herself down next to her bestest friend.

"So, my little flower, what's putting that scowl on your face today? Because that _charming_ look is certainly not working for you."

Lily slammed her head back onto the table, the audible thud causing several nearby second years to back away with priceless looks on their faces. Tanya began to stroke Lily's hair, realising her best friend was on the edge of a breakdown. Slowly, slowly, Lily raised her head and propped it upon her hands.

"I don't know, Tanya," she muttered. "Bloody James Potter…he's being so _nice_, y'know? And now I don't know what to think of him, and I think…I think that…"

She broke off suddenly as her head, like everyone else's in the Hall, snapped round to stare at Sirius. Lily winced as James was dropped unceremoniously into a plate of toast covered with marmalade.

"I'll err, I'll speak to you later, ok?" she told Tanya, who was still gazing at Sirius, as she shoved all her stuff in her bag. "I've got to go to Potions." She swung her bag over her shoulder, absentmindedly knocking a third year out cold, and with her head down, hurried out of the Great Hall.

So engrossed was she in watching the floor and daydreaming about (yep, you guessed it) James Potter, that she didn't hear the shouts of her name for a while.

"_Lily! Lily! Wait!"_ James jogged after the redhead, seeing her ponytail disappear round the corner. _"Lily! For godssakes woman!"_

Lily had finally turned round, and of course James had trotted straight into her. With a resounding "OOF!" James fell on top of Lily.

"Bacon?"

They both burst out laughing and Lily gladly took the piece of bacon from James as they got up and dusted themselves off.

"Want to go for a stroll before Potions, my dearest Lily?" asked James, extending his arm in a very gentlemanly fashion.

"Why, thank you Sir James," giggled Lily, taking his arm and munching on her bacon.

"So," Lily said in between bites of bacon as they wandered into the sunny grounds, "What is the purpose of this walk?"

James gulped, while finding an extremely interestingly shaped cloud in the sky. "Oh, you know," he managed to squawk out. "I just wanted to spend some time with my favourite Lily-flower."

Lily gave him a funny look but kept quiet for a while. Eventually she spoke up again. "You do know it's the Hogsmeade weekend next week, don't you, James?"

James wished harder than ever that he were somewhere else at that particular moment. "Errm, yes, I do know that it's the Hogsmeade weekend next weekend, because there are big notices everywhere, and people are asking other people to go with them to Hogsmeade and…"He trailed off, fully aware that he was babbling and should stop.

"Well," Lily said, having finished her bacon, "Nobody's asked _me_ yet. Not even you," as she archly raised an eyebrow at James, "and that really surprised me. Not that, you know, anybody apart from you would ask me, because all the other boys are afraid of being hexed by you. But when you didn't ask me, I realised that we'd really become friends!"

"Friends…right…" echoed James, a sense of disappointment washing over him. He didn't know what he'd been expecting Lily to say (well, he'd hoped for a declaration of undying love), but it wasn't what she'd come out with. And apparently she wasn't finished yet.

Lily continued as they reached the lakeshore, "Not that I mind being friends with you, because it's so much nicer than having arguments with you all the time, and trying to stay out of your way so you won't harass me, and reporting me to McGonagall for pranks and stuff…you know James, you've really changed this year, so much for the better."

James squinted at her. With the sunlight coming from behind her, she looked like an angel, he decided. "My angel," he murmured. He obviously didn't realise how loud he'd said it, because he jumped when Lily said, "What? What did you just say, James?"

"Uh, I was just starting my reply, because you know, we're having a conversation, where you talk and I talk back, and then you talk back, and we keep doing it until we stop…what was I saying?"

Lily looked perplexed. "I'm not sure James. Anyway, wonderful as this stroll has been, I have to get to Potions, or the Slug will kill me." She smiled shyly at James, who grinned back.

"Allow me to accompany you, fair maiden." Lily laughed ("Wow!" thought James. "Even her laughter is beautiful!") and took his arm again as they walked back towards Hogwarts.

"So, Lily," James said. "If, theoretically, someone were to ask you to Hogwarts, what would you say?"

Lily looked thoughtful. "Well, that would entirely depend on the person." She decided to be brave. "After all, there is only one person to whom my answer would be yes."

James grimaced inwardly. He felt like yelling "Salt? Rubbing? Wound? Mean anything to you, Lily?" but he refrained from it. Outwardly he kept his cool. "Aha, so our little miss Lily has a crush!" he exclaimed.

"Not really," Lily muttered. "I'm just seeing him in a new light. I mean, he's asked me out for a while, but I've turned him down because I've been afraid…"

James mentally scrolled through his 'list of boys who've been asking Lily out for more than one year' and said, "I'm sorry, but my hexes would make even the most seasoned Auror quake in his boots."

Lily gave him a puzzled look, and James continued. "You said you'd been afraid, obviously afraid of the fact that if you'd accepted this boy, I would have hexed him into oblivion."

"Right," Lily said. "Absolutely right." She sighed in relief as she saw an escape route from her true meaning. She wasn't brave enough after all, she decided. She just wasn't brave enough to confess all to James.

"Unless," she heard James say, "You meant something completely different by that statement, Lilykins."

She laughed feebly while trying to avoid his gaze, so like molten chocolate. "No, James. What ARE you talking about?"

James stopped in his tracks and spun her around so they were facing one another. "Lily…"

"Look, James, I've really got to get to Potions. Slughorn wanted us all there early for…" She was silenced by James gently placing his finger on her lips. She couldn't concentrate on anything other than the feeling of his finger, calloused by years of Quidditch, on her lips.

"Lily, Lily, Lily," James tut-tutted, running his hand through his hair, ruffling it in the most adorable manner possible. She opened her mouth to say something about how she found that him saying her name was delectable, but he shoved his hand over her mouth. She was shocked, and a little relieved that she hadn't made a fool of herself, but it sent her completely into sensory overdrive.

"Lily," James said. "Every year I've asked you out. And every year you've turned me down. I don't know why, but I'm not particularly bothered with the how's, whys, and wherefores. So this year I tried to change for you. Tried to get you to see I'm not the bigheaded, arrogant, prank-playing git you always thought I was."

Lily's eyes widened at hearing her own thoughts come out of James Potter's mouth, James laughed a little. "Yes, my little startled deer, I know exactly what you think of me…or thought of me. I did listen all those times you yelled at me." He stared deep into her eyes, and absentmindedly tucked a curl of brilliantly red hair behind her ear. "Maybe, Lily, my 'change for the better' _has_ affected you. Admit it, Lily. I'm _not_ the bigheaded, arrogant, prank-playing git you always thought I was. And you _like_ the new me. Or perhaps more than like…I don't know."

His eyes roamed over her startled visage, taking in every detail. She wanted to say that the places where he held his hand were tingling pleasantly. He finally dropped his hand from her mouth, and although she opened her mouth to protest he silenced her with a gesture.

"Now Lily, I'm going to ask you to accompany me to Hogsmeade next weekend, and if you say yes, I will quite possibly be the happiest person ever. If you say no, I'll never ask you out again ever. It's your choice. So, without further ado-Lily, would you do me the honour of going with me to Hogsmeade?"

Lily froze. _"Say yes!"_ screamed the irrational and frankly, lovesick, side of her brain. _"No!"_ said the logical side. _"You've spent six years tuning him down! Why say yes now?"_

"James…"Lily said. "I'm going to say…_yes! Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!"_

And she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him full on the lips. After severable minutes of highly pleasurable snogging, Lily drew back. She giggled at how cute James looked with his glasses askew, and said, "But James, what if…"

"Lily," James said. "I'm going to shut you up the only way I know how now."

Thus he placed his lips back on hers, turning her into a puddle of melting goo on the spot. They only stopped for a second when they heard a wolf whistle and some slow clapping, and turned to see Sirius leaning on Hogwarts' doors, munching on a sausage. "Took you long enough!" he called.

"_Piss off Padfoot!"_ James yelled, and went back to kissing Lily. Sirius merely grinned and wandered off in search of the other Marauders.

FIN 


End file.
